How Much Would the Twins Have to Spend to Prove They're Serious About 2027?

[Riverbrian]

11 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

That wall includes starting pitching after next year. This wouldn't be a problem, most likely, if the owner let falvey do his job.... Not that we wanted Tolle and Arias....

I have my assumptions because Tom Pohlad basically told us that he was in charge when he walked in the door so I do assume that he is in charge and ultimately responsible. I also have different assumptions about Pohlad, Falvey, Shelton, Zoll based on a pretty clear 180 change of direction that occurred and that 180 is the reason for my assumptions but I can never be sure.

I will continue to not only assume but vocalize my belief that last off-season at peak value is when you traded Joe Ryan. His value is probably gone to the point where it is almost better to keep him now. 

All I know is this. A wall is coming. We either slow down a little this year or run full speed into it the following year.

But Yeah... We could have had Taj and Tolle leading the way if the rumors were accurate... this alone would have started the mitigation of the wall that's coming. Franklin Arias could have been that SS/IF dude I'm looking for in this discussion.

If the Red Sox trade rumor isn't accurate... I will continue to believe that Joe Ryan would have fetched a pretty decent package. If he wouldn't have brought back an Eldridge straight up. Maybe a Lombard/LaGrange trade with the Yankees. Now... Maybe we get back Lagrange. I don't know but his value is just plain less. What would the Mets have paid then and what would they pay now? 

I do believe that whoever decided to GO FOR IT. We ran forward with a bullpen stripped to the bone and question marks in the field. 

Whoever made the decision... it was a very risky questionable decision.  

[TopGunn#22]

Spotrack listed Contreras as a FA in the link that somebody provided.  But I agree, the Brewers will exercise that option. They aren't letting him go anywhere.  He's a vital piece of their success.  

Buxton could very well be a Twin for the next 2 years and I'd be fine with that.  But I think it's time to start the youth movement and Byron could change his mind come next season's trade deadline.  And while he's still a decent CF it's probably time to move him to LF and let Jenkins/E-Rod play the majority of innings in CF.  If the Braves traded for him, he would most certainly move to LF/DH with Michael Harris remaining in CF.  The Twins would probably be wise to use him primarily as a DH with all the young OF they have.  

The over-arching point is that the Twins can't keep running the same core back year after year.  They could get something useful for Joe Ryan.  Which teams are most interested?  What they get for Lewis, Larnach, Wallner, Ober and others is certainly debatable, but at some point we could call it addition by subtraction.   

[thelanges5]

The free agents on the position player side don’t do anything for me. If I’m Tom P, I’m looking to extend some of these young guys and spend some money that way. Then I’ll turn my sites to relief and starting pitching. This club needs to focus on run prevention.

[Riverbrian]

4 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

HarmonK03 asked what my plan was to make a Buxton and Ryan trade.  I've attached what I wrote after the bolded script.

If we moved on from Buxton and Joe Ryan as the major trades, but others like Bell, Lewis, Larnach and Ober, it's hard to speculate what talent we would have brought back with those trades.  But it would open up the DH spot for someone like Yandy Diaz or Seiya Suzuki (who are both FA).  

Off season priorities:

Catcher-William Contreras.  1B-Jake Bauers.  A veteran SP-Nick Martinez or Sandy Alcantara.  A solid Closer-Ryan Helsley.  Add to this the influx of talent that we get from the trades and progression by a young core of Jenkins, Culpepper, Brooks Lee, Luke Keaschall, E-Rod, and the young pitchers and while 2027 could be cloudy with the expected labor strife, you've got the makings of a team that can meet and exceed the low bar of contention in the A.L. Central.  

So to try to pick up here with an answer...If the exercise is primarily how much the Twins should spend, and how do we use those dollars, I'm of a mind that spending does need to be increased but that bigger, broader changes need to be made.  It's time to fundamentally change this roster.  With Jenkins and E-Rod being a big part of the way forward, the Twins could simply just move Byron to LF/DH. 

But we've been able to part with Killebrew and Carew in the past and it's time to get something for Buxton if he's willing to waive his no-trade clause.  If he won't, I'm fine with him in LF/DH.  Buxton and Pablo are very similar in that their value will immediately bounce back once they demonstrate they are healthy.  Joe Ryan has finished the season with a few starts, so there is not any serious doubt he's healthy...he is.  

I'm hanging onto Lopez to begin the season as well as Buxton.  They need to rebuild value.  Ryan's value has taken a hit, but with a decent track record and a clean bill of health, he's our primary trade chip this winter.  I agree HarmonK03, the activity will be hot and heavy as soon as the World Series concludes.  The Twins need to be aggressive EARLY.  Waiting until the new CBA is completed will be far too late.  

But it's difficult to speculate on what the return in trades for Ryan, Lewis, Ober, Larnach and others would be.  I'd expect the Twins to target young pitching, an upgrade at 1B from the minor leagues who is buried behind a solid, established major leaguer and maybe a serviceable Catcher.  I had mentioned that the Twins should go hard after FA Catcher William Contreras from the Brewers.  He's head and shoulders better than Jeffers and for the next 2 seasons would serve as a great bridge to Vahn Lackey.  At some point, they could share the Catcher position and ultimately, Contreras moves to 1B/DH.  Contreras is a top 3 hitting catcher.

If I traded Joe Ryan, I'd look at Sandy Alcantara (31 y/o) for a 4 year contract or Nick Martinez/Nick Pivetta on a 2-3 year deal to replace Ryan in the rotation.  I hope this helps clarify my thoughts.  

I liked your post overall. 

Just two disagreements. Buxton retires a Twin if it was my call. It's just up to us to put a better team around him. 

Contreras would be great. I'm just reluctant to spend our limited dollars on a catcher. 

Besides my personal disagreements on two points. Both of those are justifiable. 

[Cris E]

15 hours ago, Fatbat said:

Erod. If he would have been on Varsity this spring. He would not have been sliding into base getting injured with the Saints. 
Varland, Hedrick, Lewis and a few others over the last few years.  They consistently keep Prospects in AAA as absolutely long as they can with options until they run out.  Then they lose guys without getting them a long runway in MLB. Rooker is a prime example. They also lost a couple seasons of Hoffman because he was out of options.  FO mismanagement. 

The Twins definitely play games with service time, but your examples are not good. 

Erod was injured at a couple points last summer when the Twins needed an MLB outfielder - he only played 70 games this year.  That's not manipulation.

In 2023 Headrick broke camp with the Twins at age 25 after a 2022 season where he posted a 2.34 ERA in A+ and a 5+ ERA in AA, and in 2021 he was in rookie ball thru A. Not sure where the unnecessary delays were supposed to have happened. 

Lewis was up when healthy and kept blowing up. He did not play an inning between 2020-21, and in 2022 he was with the Twins when his knee exploded twelve games into his MLB career. Not seeing the gamesmanship.

But others, for sure. Jenkins was only a good hitter for the last month in AAA this summer, and he wasn't even available for large parts of the first half. But sitting on him to preserve his eligibility for rookie awards next year (and possible draft treats) was fairly transparent.  

 

[umterp23]

On 9/24/2026 at 11:26 AM, LastOnePicked said:

I don't think this is an unpopular take, or even a bad one. Clearly, he was/is one of the better MLB catchers. I'm just trying to imagine I'm a GM. Am I getting the kinds of production that signal a market-competitive extension for Jeffers is wise? You'd need to offer him four years. What kind of player do you have in year three?

I buy the slow recovery argument - I don't buy the idea that hearing his name bandied about in trades had any impact on his play whatsoever. That holds no water for me. Even if it was true, I don't want players whose on-field play is so easily put off by baseball dealings they can't control.

I don’t think the trade thing was for the whole post trade deadline, but when I read in an interview he just wanted the deadline to be over with, I think does weigh on a player. He has wife, two young kids and would have to break from the norm and plan for all scenarios, now he did come out firing a bit post deadline but then team bottoms out. Tough final month or so for sure

[Twinsrtheworst]

On 9/23/2026 at 2:40 PM, PuckettPond said:

Payroll should be based on attendance since Twins attendance is the lowest in 20 years you have your answer. Fans get the team they deserve. Sorry if the truth hurts.

It is based on attandence and revenue from the previouse season. this very sight indead sent out many articles about it a few years back. It works when fans attend games purchace merch etc... It seams reasonable to me if fans dont support the Twins, as most fans on here have vouched to not spend a dime on the team then revenue drops so does payroll. according to past published articles.